When I wanted to be a music teacher, I wanted to help people through voice. Now, I get to help people out through song.
I've felt like an outcast most of my life, being in multiple high schools and being a military child.
We were told not to turn our hobby into our job, but to turn our job into our hobby. As kids, we were told not to pursue our dreams!
I got joked on. You had people saying I was stupid, that I was lame, that I was feminine, this and that. I was like, 'OK, but I'm still gonna be successful, and you're not.'
I'm an African-American man with an Afro who isn't your typical athlete - who wasn't as masculine as other guys.
Positivity, confidence, and persistence are key in life, so never give up on yourself.
I can't play an instrument to save my life. But when I'm creating, and when I'm making music, I feel like I'm the head of the orchestra, and I'm just waving my wand, and something is created.
For me, when I grew up, I never really had an outlet when it came to my social surroundings. Even if I had a form of popularity, I felt like I was very limited.
To be recognized and accepted by my musical peers is truly an honor.
My peers inspire me, especially being a newer artist.
A lot of people feel pressured by the outside influences, whether it's your job, whether it's school. But who says you can't take care of that stuff and still be young?
I'm a regular guy, and I don't want anyone to look at me as being superior or having a God complex or anything like that, you know? I don't want to walk around like I know everything, because I have so much more room to improve.
When I started writing, I said, 'I don't know how to do this. I don't know if it sounds good.' Coming from being an underdog or being told that something wasn't for you over and over repeatedly, it took a lot out of me. It took a lot of my self-confidence.
I want people to know that it's OK to have feelings; it's OK to be vulnerable. That no matter where they live around the world, teenagers all go through the same things.
Even though I was super personal with 'American Teen,' I want to tap in and not just tell my own stories but tell the stories of other people - so that I can help as many people as possible.
If you don't text your relationship partner - even if you just saw them in person - it's like you're doing something wrong.
I wrote 'Saved' as a form of therapy to get over the fact that I had moved and lost so much of myself.
As an artist, I never want to be a moment. I want to be a legacy, and I want my music to touch people for years to come.
I love visiting my friends because it makes me feel normal.
Joel Little and I have this certain chemistry we have when we work together.
